Have Greater Control of Your Building’s Performance

7

10

2014

The efficiency of a heating and hot water system is paramount to the energy compliance of a building and specifiers, contractors and local authorities alike are turning to the latest technology available to address this pressing issue. Leading plumbing and heating systems manufacturer, Pegler Yorkshire, has developed an energy management solution that simplifies the emerging technology and delivers results.

Sindar Singh, Climate Control Market Manager for Pegler Yorkshire said: “The traditional method primarily chosen for meeting the needs of a multi-occupancy or district heating system has been through decentralised systems with individual gas fired boilers but while this system is effective, it can be prone to so many problems and inefficiencies. The development of the Heat Interface Unit (HIU) has revolutionised the approach to delivering heat and hot water and while not a new concept, the latest products offer a range of features that leave many older systems looking obsolete.”

Pegler Yorkshire’s energy efficient solutions for centralised boiler plants include HIUs from the globally renowned Meibes range. A HIU offers many benefits over decentralised systems such as improved energy efficiency, improvement to SAP ratings, no gas installation throughout the building, ease of access to heating plant for maintenance and a simple integrated solution of low carbon and renewable heat sources, making it easier for planning consent.

The Meibes range of HIUs are designed to meet the needs of UK systems and applications and, whilst the market will continue to have bespoke units to suit the individual projects, Pegler Yorkshire has developed specific solutions for more repetitive applications types forming part of its climate strategy to improve building performance. The Meibes units in particular are designed to go the extra mile with features that promote high engineering and reliability. All benefit from a patented Proportional Modulating valve that intelligently prioritises the requirement for domestic hot water over heating, in a similar way to a combi boiler. They operates on a ‘no demand no flow’ basis which minimises the demand on the main network, reduces energy consumption and ensures the apartment is not over heated.

A recent study by the Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA) has reported the use of HIUs to increase by 17 percent annually. Which, in general, is driven by the need for more urban regeneration by Local Authorities, compliance to SAP Ratings and compliance to Part L of Building Regulations.

“Meibes HIUs deliver benefits for all parties in the supply chain from initial system design through to everyday operation and maintenance.” commented Sindar. “There are lower capital costs for one which is a key consideration in any project, they also don’t require complicated heating and pipework system designs, there is no hot water storage necessary and as they help improve energy efficiency whilst facilitating integration of different heat sources it’s generally easier to gain planning consent.

“For contactors there is the ease of installation and time saving as well as an annual servicing requirement. However I would say property managers are the biggest winners from this technology, they benefit from a single plant room, no requirement to enter individual apartments for routine maintenance, the ability to data capture and provide heat metering for billing residents and reduced energy consumption as well as being easily able to include renewable solutions into their building, therefore complying with Government directives.”

The Meibes HIU range benefits from a number of different models to suit a variety of applications, which means that choosing the right system just got a whole lot easier. The comprehensive range comprising; Indirect, Direct and Indirect for Cylinder Systems, ensures they can be used with a wide range of configurations. And, benefit from additional features such as fix rails for faster installation, heat meters for accurate measurement of heat energy use and data extraction.

Sindar concluded: “As with so many modern products, the challenge is not simply to do the job of old systems more efficiently, but to deliver tangible benefits for all parties. And as a company dedicated to product innovation, we believe the Meibes HIU range does just that!”